


Love Me Tender

by TheGayShipper (Miss_Vanderwaal)



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 15:15:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5461103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Vanderwaal/pseuds/TheGayShipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aria is disillusioned in love and Spencer is the only one that knows how to comfort her in the right way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Me Tender

   Spencer was seated on the window seat of her bedroom with the notes for her next Philosophy test leaned on her thighs, but now she had her right elbow propped on the window frame and was concentrated on the late afternoon sun more than on anything else.

   Her phone buzzed beside her, pulling her instantly out of her daydreams. She quickly picked it up and a grin came across her face when she noticed the call was from Aria.

\- Hey, you. – Spencer greeted sweetly, unable to make the big smile fade away. She and Aria were sort of dating for a couple of weeks now and there was nothing like hearing the brunette’s voice after hours straight just hearing the voices inside her own head.

   It took a moment for Spencer to get her response.

\- Spencer? – a young masculine voice asked.

   The girl frowned and switched her phone to the other ear, confused.

\- Mike?

\- Yes. – the boy answered. He sounded a bit nervous for some reason.

   For a fraction of a second, Spencer blushed in embarrassment. Mike didn’t know about their relationship yet, as well as no one else – except for their friends. What if Spencer had answered that call with a “hey, babe” instead? _God_. Mike was quite immature sometimes _and_ he played lacrosse with some older boys at Rosewood High. That all together might turn into a problem for the girls, eventually, regarding their privacy as a couple.

\- Why are you calling me on your sister’s phone? – Spencer sat up straight, closing her notebook. – Is everything okay?

\- Uh… - he trailed off and Spencer cut him off when she thought she wouldn’t get anymore from him.

\- Mike, what is it? – her heart started beating rapidly as she started actually worrying about her sweetheart.

\- It’s Aria. – the boy replied with what Spencer most feared – She just came home from school and she’s crying ever since she stepped inside.

   The girl couldn’t help dropping her pen.

\- What do you mean?

\- I… I don’t know. She won’t tell me what’s wrong. She’s holding her knees in bed right now and she just won’t talk to me. The only thing she said was for me to call you.

   Spencer’s heart clenched inside her chest and her throat felt dry.

\- Do you know those panic attacks she used to have when she was little? – Mike added.

\- Yes. – the girl muttered almost voiceless and nodded to herself. Although she hadn’t known Aria for that long, she had heard of them, of course. Aria’s mom had never been sure of what could’ve caused those spaced crisis, but Aria had been the type of kid who got easily scared of storms and of being left alone in one place for too long, like, _really_ scared.

\- Yeah. I guess this might be one of them.

   The hair on the back of Spencer’s neck raised with the pre-diagnosis made by Aria’s fifteen year old brother. Mike sounded genuinely concerned and the girl’s blood was getting cold inside her veins. _Anything_ could’ve happened in order to get Aria to apparently break like Mike was describing she did.

\- Listen, don’t you dare take your eyes off her – she demanded as she rapidly stood up – I’ll be there in five.

* * *

    Spencer’s heart ached as she raced up to Aria’s room and saw that the petite girl was still holding her knees on her bed. She hadn’t taken her sandals off yet and was biting her right thumb nail. She had stopped crying but her cherry shaped face was wet from all the tears. Mike had cordially left them alone and Aria threw herself into Spencer’s embrace as soon as she laid eyes on her and before the taller girl could sit on the edge of Aria’s bed.

\- Oh, sweetpea. – Spencer said in the most endearing way she could, starting to smooth Aria’s back in order to normalize her ragged breathing. She also started to feel extremely selfish, because no matter how desperate the situation seemed, it was always wonderful to have Aria in her arms. – What in the world happened to you, huh?

   They let go of each other after some time and Aria still hadn’t given Spencer a response. Her big and expressive brown eyes were pinned on Spencer’s and the taller girl stroked Aria’s soft cheek. Her lips were trembling. Nothing. Spencer carefully took Aria’s sandals off, caressing the insteps of Aria’s manicured feet, and went up to her shins.

\- For God’s sake, baby, talk to me.

   Aria was still looking at Spencer and she inhaled sharpily, giving the taller girl hope of finally hearing her voice.

\- Ali was walking home with me… and we…

   Aria roughly shut her eyes and pressed her lips together. Spencer could almost hear the cracking sound of her own heart.

\- What, baby? – she tried to get a hold of Aria’s hands but they were tightly around the brunette’s knees once again. – What left you like this?

\- We saw my dad’s car. – Aria responded, breathing heavily still. Tears were streaking down her cheeks now. – He was there and he was… kissing someone. A woman. That wasn’t my mom.

   Aria practically whispered the last part, maybe because she was scared that Mike might hear it somehow. She looked helpless and Spencer was mainly speechless. Her throat felt dry again and she had trouble putting together the silables for her next set of words.

\- Are you sure it was him?

\- I could see through the back window, Spencer. – Aria almost shouted now, sliding her fingers over both of her eyes – I think I know the side of my father’s head.

   Aria started with the actual sobbing and went back to curling herself up, hiding her face completely this time. Spencer’s eyes started getting watery as well but she did her best to swallow her tears.

\- No, baby, don’t. Please. – she brought Aria’s face up to her – Come here.

   Aria looked at Spencer again and the vulnerability inside those light brown eyes was simply immeasurable. She let herself melt into the taller girl’s embrace and Spencer finally allowed a tear to streak down her own face. It hurt seeing Aria like this, even more than it had hurt seeing Hanna in a similar state of pain when the blonde’s father left. Of course, no one deserved to live in a broken home, but for some reason it just _shouldn’t_ have happened to Aria, ever.

   Aria was this unbelievably sweet creature, who strongly believed in the magic of stories like Romeo and Juliet and hadn’t exactly been on Hester Prynne’s side when reading The Scarlet Letter for the first time. She used romantic literature in general as some sort of Holy Bible and love was her religion. There would never be a more chaste soul than Aria’s, and that was why it all seemed like a genuine crime.

\- I left Ali behind. – she spoke through her tears, still holding Spencer tightly – I didn’t want to but I just kept running and halfway here I started feeling this pressure on my chest and the tears came nonstop. I don’t know what I was thinking. The only thing I knew was that I needed to see you, Spence. I’m so sorry if I worried you.

\- Shhh. – Spencer whispered, dropping a kiss onto Aria’s neck – Please, don’t apologize. You know I’ll come running whenever you need me and for whatever you need me, right?

\- Yes. – Aria whined and Spencer could feel the girl’s chest shaking as she tried to hold it together.

\- Hey – Spencer gently slid one hand from the spot in between Aria’s shoulder blades to the lower part of the girl’s back –, I know what might make you feel better.

   She slowly parted the hug and slid behind Aria so she could lean her own back on the girl’s pillows. The petite brunette smiled as her tears were gradually drying up on her face and did what the gesture of “come here” that Spencer made her told her to. An enormous sensation of peace took over Spencer when she felt Aria’s tiny body in between her legs. She didn’t want to seem inappropriate, but she couldn’t help sighing out of relief as she pressed the girl slightly against herself and felt that she relaxed the muscles of her back against her chest.

\- There was a certain song your parents used to sing to calm you down when you had those crisis, wasn’t there? I believe it was something like this.

   Spencer kissed just below Aria’s earlobe and started humming Love Me Tender at the shorter girl’s ear. Gradually, she started adding the words. She spent the next couple of minutes singing it at an even slower speed than Elvis did it. At the end of the song, Spencer wondered if Aria had fallen asleep, giving just how quiet she was.

\- Please, tell me I didn’t wreck this master piece – the taller girl asked in a false preoccupation with her singing skills.

   A genuine laugh came out of Aria.

\- I wish your version was available on iTunes.

   Spencer smiled and started playing with Aria’s fingers.

\- How are you feeling?

\- A minute ago my head was killing me and my stomach was hurting a little, too, but now I’m better.

\- I’m glad – she kissed the top of Aria’s head, and the shorter girl took a long breath.

\- I know everyone in my shoes would be throwing things and yelling at people right now. But I don’t feel like being pissed off, at least not at the moment. I’m just… _scared_. I’m _so_ scared, Spence.

   Spencer squeezed Aria tighter, as if, like that, she was able to protect her from an invisible danger, a bad memory, something that might be hunting her.

\- Of what?

\- Of him. It’s like I don’t know him anymore. It’s like the man I saw kissing that blonde wasn’t the same man that wished me a wonderful day this morning before going to work, you know? Because the man I’ve known for seventeen years, my daddy, would never do a thing like that.

   Spencer could hear Aria’s voice faltering again. She caressed her arms as if she was trying to warm her up. The girl sounded shattered. Spencer knew that kind of betrayal was something simply unthinkable to Aria. God, she just _didn’t_ deserve it.

\- I know, baby.

\- So why did he? – Aria looked up at Spencer, the side of her head still resting on the taller girl’s chest – Does he not care at all now? I mean… what have we done wrong?

\- Nothing. – Spencer shot back in a soft voice – You guys did nothing wrong. No one, except him, is guilty of this, let alone you, okay?

   Aria wrapped her arms around Spencer, still using the girl’s chest as a pillow.

\- What’s gonna happen to them? – she asked weakly – My parents? Like, are they getting a divorce?

   Spencer had to bite her tongue to not say that sometimes an affair wasn’t the end of the road for a marriage. It probably _was_ the end of the road in Aria’s conception.

\- I can’t possibly answer you that. – she started drawing circles onto Aria’s back with her fingers – And I honestly don’t know what to tell you. About all of this. I mean, love and caring stopped being priorities in my parents’ marriage a long time ago. I’d say they have been in a business relationship ever since Melissa was born.

\- You don’t have to say anything. – Aria stated after a second of silence – Just keep holding me and promise me I can sneak into your bed the minute my parents start yelling at each other.

   Although it hadn’t sounded lustful in any way, Spencer couldn’t help chuckling quietly at Aria’s apparent wish of sleeping with her, when they actually haven’t had sex yet.

\- It would be my most imponderable pleasure.

   The shorter girl squeezed Spencer a little tighter around the waist and sighed.

\- I think the scariest part of it is not my parents splitting up, but the fact that it can happen to literally anyone. To us, one day, even. And losing you is an idea I just _can’t_ stand.

   Spencer held Aria’s chin up and spoke in a more serious tone.

\- No relationship on Earth is setback proof, Aria, I’ll tell you that. But I’m begging you, please, don’t let your father’s mistake inspire you to write the book on your relationships. Because, as for myself, I know that I will try the impossible so we can make this last a lifetime.

   Aria stared long and kindly at Spencer.

\- I don’t doubt you for a second – she kissed the center of the girl’s chest and trailed soft and slow pecks up to the right side of her neck. Spencer closed her eyes in both pleasure and relief.

\- Thank you – she muttered, having trouble concentrating because Aria hadn’t stopped with the kissing and it was making her feel warmer inside.

   It was all _too_ good, actually, and Spencer couldn’t help addimiting to herself that she wanted to take it to the next level – _so much_ –, but she wouldn’t dare forcing Aria to do something she wasn’t in the mood to do.

\- I love you like crazy, you know? – Aria whispered, and the way her breath tickled Spencer’s ear made the girl moan internally.

\- And you wouldn’t believe how much I love you.

   Spencer rolled both herself and Aria to the side so they were facing each other. The vibe was almost unrecognizable now. The fragile girl who had cried on Spencer’s shoulder moments ago was completely gone. Spencer was immeasurably glad, even though she loved comforting Aria.

   There was something different in those expressive brown eyes now, something that had never been there before, something amazingly captivating, _lust_. Spencer bit ever so slightly on her lower lip and grabbed Aria’s side with one hand, going up to her left shoulder blade and finally pulling her to a craved a kiss. She could feel her tongue tingling out of pure joy when it clashed against Aria’s. _God_ , she had missed it!

   Spencer’s fingers were gladly lost in brown hair when their lips parted.

\- Should we lock the door? – Aria asked, half breathless.

\- Should we?

   The shorter girl didn’t reply, but went back to being on top of Spencer, cradling the girl’s hips with her legs for a moment in order to get to the door. She glued her back to it – giving Spencer what the taller brunette would for sure call a deliciously lustful kind of look – and, with her right arm behind her back, she finally reached the lock and turned it until it clicked. Talk about an amazing little sound.


End file.
